1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to telecommunications systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to an advanced intelligent network system for facilitating troubleshooting problems related to provisioning telephone services and features.
2. Background of the Invention
In the present telecommunications infrastructure, subscribers are provided a wide range of improved services and special features in addition to regular plain old telephone service (xe2x80x9cPOTSxe2x80x9d). Examples of such enhancements include caller-id, call-waiting, automatic call-back, message waiting, anonymous call rejection, automatic re-call, and the like. Such enhancements are provided through a complex set of interactions between the various network elements. The complexity of the interactions is greatly increased when a single subscriber utilizes multiple features.
When a subscriber subscribes to a new service, one or more of the following actions may be executed: an AIN trigger may be placed on the subscriber""s line at a service switching point (xe2x80x9cSSPxe2x80x9d); a database on a service control point (xe2x80x9cSCPxe2x80x9d) may be updated with additional information; and/or a database on a service node (xe2x80x9cSNxe2x80x9d) may be updated. When a new service or feature is being offered system-wide, the SN or SCP may require new programming logic, or AIN triggers may be provisioned globally on the SSP. Because of the complexity and large number of combinations of data and programming options, problems sometimes arise with a subscriber""s telephone service.
When a subscriber reports such problems to a service center, diagnosis and correction using conventional systems and methods is a multi-step process. A trouble ticket is created and assigned to a maintenance technician. The maintenance technician must login to the subscriber""s SSP to analyze the settings on the subscriber""s line. The technician must then diagnose the problem and implement corrective actions. Finally, the technician must verify that the problem is resolved, either by testing the subscriber""s line or by asking the subscriber to test the line.
In conventional systems, access to switching equipment is generally restricted to special terminals physically located on the telephone service provider""s (xe2x80x9ctelco""sxe2x80x9d) premises. In some instances, the telco may allow remote terminal access via a secure access interface. Furthermore, conventional switching systems generally have only a limited number of ports available for technicians logging in. Thus, when a technician logs into a switching system to diagnose a single subscriber""s problem, a valuable interface port is tied-up. This limits the number of ports available to diagnose and resolve any problems affecting users system-wide.
Additionally, telecommunication system vendors typically provide rudimentary user interfaces with their systems. Thus, using conventional methods, maintenance technicians must have the specialized skills and knowledge to effectively interact with the switching systems. Such specialized skills and knowledge are generally vendor-specific, making it more difficult for the technician to diagnose and correct problems when systems from multiple vendors are deployed in the telco""s network.
There is therefore a need for a system and method allowing a technician to perform tasks with telephone line settings without the need for logging into the telco""s systems. More specifically, there is a need for a system and method allowing a technician to retrieve or modify the telephone line settings on the switch through a telephone call. Further there is a need for automated diagnosis of common problems associated with telephone services and features.
The present invention utilizes an Advanced Intelligent Network (xe2x80x9cAINxe2x80x9d) to provide an automated system and method for performing tasks with telephone line settings on a switch using a telephone call. The tasks such as retrieval, delivery and modification of telephone line settings may be performed using the system and method of the present invention. AIN systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,301, U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,533 and Bellcore Specification TR-NWT-001284, Switching Systems Generic Requirements for AIN 0.1, which are all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The system and method of the present invention uses standard AIN queries, call setup messages and information delivery services.
A technician obtains the telephone line settings by placing a telephone call to a special access number for the automated system. The technician may place this call using any telephone line in the public switched telephone network. The telephone line need not be a land-based line, i.e., the technician""s telephone line may be a mobile line if desired. The special access number is provisioned with a suitable AIN trigger on a switch operated by the telco. As a security measure, the system requests an authorization code or PIN from the caller to prevent unauthorized access to the telco""s systems. After verifying the caller""s authorization to use the system, the call is forwarded to a service node which prompts the technician to provide information required to retrieve, deliver and modify the data for a particular telephone line.
When line settings are being requested, it is desirable for the technician to place the telephone call to the special access number using one telephone line and to receive the results using a second telephone line having calling number and/or calling name delivery. Essentially, the technician""s call is terminated to the second telephone line as if the technician had dialed that line directly. However, rather delivering the technician""s true calling number or calling name, the test results data or a text message identifying the results are delivered to the second line. Thus, three pieces of information are gathered by the service node: a telephone number that is to be tested, a test code and a telephone number for receiving the test results. When the subscriber line data is being modified, the technician need only provide the telephone number for the line to be modified and a modify code indicating the parameters to be changed.
The technician may enter the information required using any suitable means, e.g., a touch tone phone, a computer or an automated dialer. In a preferred embodiment, the service node xe2x80x9cwalksxe2x80x9d the technician through a series of questions regarding the reported trouble and uses the technician""s responses to formulate the test code or the modify code as the case may be. The service node transmits the information provided by the technician to the service control point. The service control point uses this information to determine the actions necessary to carry out the technician""s instructions. The service control point modifies the call parameters to flag the call as a request from the automated system of the present invention. The service control point also modifies the called party number field to route the call to the line to be tested or modified. Optionally, the service control point may ensure that the line to be tested or modified has an active Termination Attempt Trigger (xe2x80x9cTATxe2x80x9d) or other suitable AIN trigger. This can be accomplished by sending an Update_Request message to the switch serving the line.
The call is forwarded to the service switching point serving the line to be tested or modified. The trigger on the line is encountered prompting that switch to issue a database query back to the service control point. When the service control point receives the query, the flag indicates that the call is really a request for retrieval, display or modification of the switch settings for the called line. Thus, the service control point instructs the switch to either retrieve the requested data or to modify the data fields for the line, according to the flag.
If the instruction relates to modification of line data, the service control point responds to the database query by instructing the switch to end the call. If the instruction relates to retrieval of line data, the service control point responds to the query by writing a test results code in the calling party field of the call, and rerouting it to the telephone number designated by the technician to receive the test results. The switch processes the call according to the new call parameters and the call is eventually terminated to the technician""s second line by the appropriate switch.
Once the call is terminated to the technician""s second line, the test results may be delivered in a variety of forms. For example, a simple numeric code may be provided using a calling number delivery service. Alternatively, the code may be translated to a text string and displayed using a calling name delivery system. In another embodiment, the test code may be delivered to a computer which translates the code for the technician. In another embodiment, the code may be stored in a voice or text mailbox which the technician may retrieve at a later date.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an automated system for performing a task with telephone line settings on a switch.
It is another object of the present invention to use an Advanced Intelligent Network to provide an automated system for retrieval, delivery and modification of telephone line settings.
It is another object of the present invention to retrieve telephone line settings from a switch via a telephone call.
It is another object of the present invention to modify telephone line settings from a switch via a telephone line display service.